Art Song India

During her time teaching in Chennai, Nina founded Art Song India, a new festival aiming to reimagine art song in India and support and promote Indian performers and composers. Launched in 2020 but delayed by the pandemic, in 2021 the festival returned online in a new partnership between KMMC and Trinity Laban International Academies, featuring vocal masterclasses, a composition workshop and a vocal competition, with a combined reach of over 200,000 views to date.

The 2022 festival was held in July live at KM Music Conservatory in Chennai, again in partnership with Trinity Laban International Academies, and supported young singers, pianists and composers through a series of masterclasses and a performance competition, with guest faculty Patricia Rozario OBE, Karl Lutchmayer, Jennifer Hamilton, James Bunch and Reena Esmail. This year’s festival also featured a mini concert tour, with song performances at the Bangalore International Centre and Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan, including the world premiere of songs by Indian composers written for the festival.

In 2023, Sandeep Gurappadi joined Nina as co-director of the festival. They are currently working on long-term plans to develop Art Song India into a charity, so that they can continue to work with Indian musicians and international partner institutions, create an online educational hub, and create a space for art song and music festivals to evolve in the twenty-first century.

Nina is currently a doctoral researcher (PhD candidate) at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, working with supervisors Professor Biranda Ford, Dr. Preetha Narayanan and Dr. Jo Gibson. Her research is focused on the Art Song India festival, navigating transcultural dialogue in international pedagogy in a context of postcolonial and curatorial theory, as well as critical pedagogy.

Art Song India 2021: Prologue - Dharma
Written & Composed by Advait Mahesh

© Lekha Naidu, Bangalore International Centre

© Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance